The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119, of French Patent Application 2004/0013972 filed Dec. 28, 2004.
The present invention relates to the general field of mail franking machines or “postage meters”. More precisely, the invention relates to apparatus for designing personalized mail templates, and a machine for franking said personalized mail templates.
Personalization of mail can, for example, consist in printing advertising slogans or messages intended for a particular category of addressees on the envelopes.
It is known, in particular from Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,816,838, that a mail production system exists in which each mail item bears a bar code representing a set of pieces of personalization data that are to be printed on said item.
That bar code is read by an insertion machine that prints the personalized data identified by said bar code onto the mail item. The personalization data can, in particular, contain an advertising graphics image pre-stored in a memory of the insertion machine.
Unfortunately, such a system presents a first major drawback in that it does not provide any tool making it possible to design the personalization data easily.
In addition, that system does not make it possible to check that the personalization data that is stored in the franking machine and that is ultimately printed on the mail item is certified personalization data.